


pieces of paper and plastic

by tonystarkdadmode



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Field Trip, I Tried, Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker's Field Trip to Stark Industries, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-12 00:54:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16863178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tonystarkdadmode/pseuds/tonystarkdadmode
Summary: Factually speaking, an average size piece of standard printer paper should weigh around 4.5 grams.Peter cannot understand how the yellow sheet tucked between the notebooks has made his backpack grow 20 pounds heavier.Eight and a half inches by eleven, composed of wood, fiber, glue, and a million other things is shifting against the spirals of Peter’s books, corners folding against the suit shoved in the bottom of the bag.The suit. It’s only fitting the suit would rumple the fluorescent flyer, advertising a trip to the leading business in science and technology, in green energy, in life-changing robotics, in the home to the suit.Peter wonders how heavy the sheet will feel after ink is added for the guardian signature.OR another canon-friendly field trip trope fic because we all love these





	pieces of paper and plastic

**Author's Note:**

> hi this is my first fic im so nervous!!!!!!!
> 
> I wanted to make more of a canon-friendly take on one of my fav tropes (so like this is post- homecoming but pre-infinity war), and I tried to make flash more of a modern bully????? so not like outwardly mean but more snarky, also no MJ because this is my first fic and i don’t want to write her wrong bc i absolutely adore her
> 
> also sorry pete is such an anxious and angsty boi in this I feel like this situation would stress him out v much so thats what i wrote haha ok thx

Factually speaking, an average size piece of standard printer paper should weigh around 4.5 grams.

Peter cannot understand how the yellow sheet tucked between the notebooks has made his backpack grow 20 pounds heavier.

Eight and a half inches by eleven, composed of wood, fiber, glue, and a million other things is shifting against the spirals of Peter’s books, corners folding against the suit shoved in the bottom of the bag.

The suit. It’s only fitting the suit would rumple the fluorescent flyer, advertising a trip to the leading business in science and technology, in green energy, in life-changing robotics, in the home to the suit.

Peter wonders how heavy the sheet will feel after ink is added for the guardian signature.

_

The crowded school bus rounds another corner in the busy Manhattan streets, nearly rolling Peter’s breakfast back up.

“I don’t understand why you’re so nervous, Peter. This is so cool! We get to see where you work!” Ned mutters quietly to Peter.

Peter glances a look at his friend next to him, before sighing and closing his eyes. “I just don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“Do you think we’ll see the Iron Man armor?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you think we will see new Spider-man tech?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you think Pepper Potts will be there?”

“I don’t _know_ , Ned.”

“Do you think _Tony Stark_ will be there?”

“Probably not,” says Peter, desperately trying to not ruin his friend’s excitement. He wishes he was more excited, honestly. Stark Industries is an amazing company and Peter has been a fan for years, but his anxiety is getting the better of him.

_What if the SI employees say something to him? What if they don’t say something to him, what does that mean? What if Flash tries to pull something while they’re touring? What are his classmates going to think of Peter? What if Tony actually is there?_

“Peter-”

His thoughts immediately stop as he is snapped back into reality. The bus has parked in front of the giant building and kids have already begun filing off and into the building.

Peter looks at Ned. “Godspeed, brother.”

_

Inside the building, the students gathered in front of the receptionist desk. Peter’s teacher, Mr. Harrington, was signing in with the receptionist and the tour guide while the group of 20-or-so students talked amongst themselves.

“So, Peter, what can we expect from today’s tour?” Flash asks. From an outsider, it could be mistaken as genuine, but everyone at Midtown knows this is how he preys on his victims.

Peter, facing Ned, sighs before turning to face Flash. “I don’t know Flash, why don’t you ask the tour guide?” he shoots back. Their peers around them have started to stare at the interaction.

“Well I just figured I would ask the person who works here, surely they would have an idea, right?” Flash asks, stepping closer.

Peter could’ve said anything. _I don’t work for the tour guides_ or _I intern for Mr. Stark directly, he isn’t taking tours of his own building_ or _shove your questions up your ass, Thompson_ or anything else. Yet nothing escaped his mouth.

When Peter doesn’t take his bait, Flash concludes, “Guess we’ll just have to see how real that internship is, huh?” By this point, Flash is eye to eye with Peter, glancing between his eyes intimidatingly.

“Come get your security badges, guys. The faster you move the faster we can get started,” Mr. Harrington calls, oblivious to the current interaction. Flash gives a small smirk towards Peter before walking over to retrieve his badge.

Peter exhales a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “I shouldn’t have come on this trip,” he says under his breath.

“Dude, please don’t let Flash ruin this trip for you. He’s just trying to get you worked up,” Ned pauses. Peter’s brow is still furrowed in stress as they move towards their badges. “Plus, don’t people here know you? That’ll prove that you actually intern here. What if Happy is here? Or Tony? What if Tony Stark stops by to say hi?” Ned rambles.

“I don’t know, I just started coming by to work on stuff with Mr. Stark, and normally that’s in the private labs upstairs so I don’t know that many other people yet.”

“You work in Tony Stark’s _private labs-_ ”

“ _Dude-_ ” Peter hushes, glancing around.

“Why are you being so secretive about this? It’s so cool!”

“Because the stuff I’m working on is the _stuff_ , yanno? I can’t go bragging about my internship to everyone when my internship is actually just _the other guy_. People will get suspicious, so I’m trying to keep a low radar. Plus it feels weird to brag about it, nobody believes me anyways,” Peter explains, trying to talk in code while in such close proximity to prying ears. Nobody seems to be paying attention, but he is never too careful when handing his secret identity.

“You’re right, but just try and relax a little, Peter. Even if you get to come here often, I don’t and I want to have a good time with my best friend,” Ned says. Peter nods and gives him a hesitant smile. Ned nudges him and smiles back.

They are finally next to get their badges, and Peter is only mildly surprised to see he even has a badge. Normally when he comes to the tower, he either swings into the appropriate floor and FRIDAY lets him in through a window, or he takes the private elevator hidden along the side hallway. He was never given a badge before, because FRIDAY already knew him. His badge looks the same as everyone else’s in their group. Peter tried to hide the small part of him that is let down, it would’ve been a bit nice to have a small way to show off that he is significant when working here. He shoves his selfishness aside and pounds the message that blending in is better into his brain.

“Hi Midtown High! My name is Anne and I’ll be your tour guide for the day!” A small, perky young woman stood in front of the class and gathered their attention. “Just some house rules to go over before we get started: your badges must be worn on the outermost layer of your clothing at all times where it can be seen, this is just a security measure. Also no pictures or phones out unless otherwise stated, this helps us protect our research going on here at SI. In case of an emergency, please follow all instructions given by myself or security personnel, they’re the ones with the red badges. Now, we all need to swipe our badges through to the security gate and we will start our tour inside,” Anne closes as she begins walking towards the gate.

Anne swipes her green badge and a familiar voice calls from above: **" _Anne Valk, Public Relations Department, Security Level 3"_**

Anne laughs at peoples startled expressions as they glanced up to the ceiling. “That’s the building’s AI system, FRIDAY. Don’t worry about her, you can keep coming through.”

One by one the class filed through the monitors. When Peter swiped his badge, FRIDAY rang out: **_"Peter Parker, Guest, Security Level Not Applicable"_**

Peter felt his cheeks flush as he continued through the gate. His eyes immediately darted to Flash’s, his smirk glued to his face again. Peter’s cheeks got redder, if that was possible, before his eyes fell to the floor before him. Peter didn’t want attention drawn to himself about the internship, but he also didn’t want to be seen by a liar and an attention seeker by his classmates. And having the “guest” title ring out after his name would be hard to come back from. Peter was telling the truth, he just didn’t know how to prove it.

If Ned wanted to bring up what FRIDAY said, he didn’t, which Peter was grateful for. The entire trip so far had been nothing but an embarrassment, and Peter didn’t think it would be changing any time soon.

The class was then moving more into the building, to a set of elevators. The tour guide was giving basic background on the operations of the building as the students gathered and waited for the elevator cars. “There are five different color badges for the five different Divisions of Stark Industries. White is for visitors, which is what you have. Green, like mine, is for the Business Division. As a tour guide I am in the Public Relations Department, which is in the Business Division. Then red is for Security, blue is for Research, and yellow is for Medical. There are different departments within each division. There are also five different security clearances. Visitors typically don’t have security clearances unless it is a special circumstance, mainly because you are only visiting one time. First level clearances are given to maintenance, janitorial staff, and cooks. Second level are given to entry level positions and interns. Third level are given to project managers and positions who often travel between departments. Fourth level is department heads and their assistants, and the fifth level is all access, which is Miss Potts, Mr. Stark, and a select few others.”

“Why doesn’t your badge say you security clearance on it?” Betty Brant asks.

“Good question! It’s to even the playing field, we didn’t want employees using the security clearances as a social code,” Anne explains. By this point, the students have piled into either of the elevators and began their descent to the first leg of the tour.

_

By lunch, Peter was starting to feel a bit better. They toured the history of SI and Avengers exhibits located in the lower levels of the tower, they saw some chemistry labs and a business department floor. Flash had finally backed off of trying to catch Peter’s eye to make fun of him.

Peter and Ned sat at a table eating when a man in a suit came up and muttered something in the tour guide’s ear. Anne nodded and went over to Mr. Harrington across the room. Peter’s eyes snapped up to Ned’s when he heard Anne quietly ask, “Which one of your students is Peter Parker?”

“What?” Ned asked Peter.

“I don’t know, the tour guide wants to know who I am,” Peter mutters, trying to listen into the rest of Anne and Mr. Harrington’s conversation with his spidey sense. The conversation seemed to be over, and Anne quickly walked over to their table.

“Peter, could you come with me a moment?” Anne asked nicely.

“Uh, yeah - sure- why what’s up? Peter stammered in response.

“We just have a few questions for you, need to clear a few things up.”

By this point, most of Peter’s classmates were watching the interaction. Peter nodded and stood to follow Anne out the door. His hair on the back of his neck was standing straight up from all of the eyes watching him leave. He noticed the man in the suit had a red badge hanging by his suit pocket - _Security._

As the three of them left the room, Peter asked, “Am I in trouble or something?”

“No, you haven’t done anything wrong. Rick is going to take you to another part of the building so you can meet someone and clear things up for us,” Anne said, putting a hand on his arm for reassurance. She then looked at the man in the suit, Ricky apparently, and he led the boy away.

As Peter and the man traveled down the halls of the Stark tower, Peter couldn’t keep his mind from racing. Peter doubted Tony knew he was even touring SI, but if Tony found out Peter was here and was being taken into questioning by security, Peter would be mortified. Tony would probably think it was hilarious, but Peter still wants to make a good impression for him and this definitely isn’t that.

Once they reached the security floors, Peter was placed into a room and was told to wait. Peter was three seconds away from slamming his head off of the table because he felt like he was in some type of _holding cell at Stark Industries-_

“Oh, it is you.”

Happy Hogan is standing in the doorway looking entirely unamused.

“ _Happy?_ What are you doing here? What am I doing here?”

“Well, you didn’t tell us you were coming for your little school field-trip, so we printed out a visitor’s pass for Peter Parker not knowing it was for you. And when you came in the security gate, FRIDAY flagged that you were using a different pass than your clearance level. Why didn’t you use your other badge?”

“I don’t- I never- I don’t have one.”

Happy sighed. “You don’t have one. Even though I had one made for you and gave it to Tony to give to you.” Peter just looked at the man. “Well, one person can’t have two badges, its a liability for security so I’m taking the visitor’s pass away and you’ll get the other badge when I find it.”

“Um, okay. Isn’t me walking around without a security badge like not okay though?”

“The only people who notice are FRIDAY and the security staff, all which have been updated about the situation. So go back to your playdate.”

“You mean field trip.”

“Whatever, I’ll see you later kid.”

_

The class had moved on from lunch and resumed the tour in the R&D labs when Peter finally caught back up. Ned didn’t say anything when his best friend reunited at his side, but his eyes asked if everything was alright.

“Just a mix up with badges, Happy cleared it up,” Peter whispered, not wanting to be rude and talk during the tour.

The R&D labs were definitely Peter’s favorite part of the tour so far. It wasn’t anything compared to Tony’s labs upstairs, but he’d been down here a few times to pick up random supplies for Tony. Everyone who worked down here were extremely nice to Peter, and had no problem helping the kid out.

As the class observed the engineers working, Peter recognized one of the workers. He was always working any time Peter stopped by, but he couldn’t remember catching a name.

Anne was coincidentally talking about the Stark Internship program when Peter zeroed back into the tour again. A hand shot up into the air.

“Can high schoolers participate in the Stark Internship program?” Flash asked, innocently.

“Unfortunately, the Internship program is only for college students, but you can apply your freshman year. You don’t necessarily have to wait until you’re a senior,” Anne replied. Flash gave her a smile, before tossing Peter a glance. Told you so, his eyes said.

A quiet murmur now ran through the students. Anne, confused by the reaction, continues with her rehearsed speech. It was quiet enough for Anne to talk over, but Peter’s super senses picked up everyone’s comments around him.

_“So he’s been lying this whole time?” “Is that why security wanted to talk to him? To stop him from lying?” “He doesn’t have a badge anymore, maybe he got banned from the tower or something.”_

Peter tried to block out the whispers, knowing he had no true way of proving himself without raising other questions that shouldn’t be asked. But the fact that his classmates saw him as a liar was a painful pill to swallow. He focused on his breathing, hoping the distraction would reduce the redness in his cheeks.

_

The rest of the tour went on agonizingly long for Peter. The group saw a medical lab and the PR Department floor that Anne worked on. Anne excitedly chatted away on their last stop, detailing her qualifications, responsibilities, and perks of working at SI, while Peter longed for the end to come.

He tried to have as much fun as he could with Ned, but ever since the internship question with Flash, Peter felt a different energy around his peers. He needed to get away from it all.

As his mind begins to overwork itself, ruminating the disasters of the day, the room stills. Its instantaneous, and its not just the tour group. The entire PR Department freezes at the soft ding of an elevator. A familiar elevator.

Peter looks over to the corner where the wall has unveiled an otherwise hidden elevator, and his eyes widen. Tony, texting on his phone, is making his way over to the tour group.

_What is he doing here?_

“Mr, Stark! What an honor it is to have you stop by the tour today!” Anne exclaims, breathlessly.

Tony glances up at her, “Well I was supposed to be in DC smoothing over the Accords, but Ross pissed me off so I sent a robot instead.” He locks his phone and slides his hands into his pockets casually. “It’s a good thing I was around today, though,” he continued.

Tony swept his eyes across the gaping high schoolers before his eyes landed on Peter’s. “Hey kid, sorry for the mix up earlier,” he says, pulling something out of his pocket. Tony walks over to Peter and hands him a security badge. It’s black in color, with a holographic “5” in the background. Peter hesitantly grabs it and meets Tony’s eyes once more.

“Happy gave me this to give to you a while ago but you know how I don’t like being handed things and I lost it. I think DUM-E hid it from me, took me nearly an hour to find upstairs. Anyways, why didn’t you tell me about your vacation?”

“You mean field trip?”

“Yeah, whatever its called.”

“I don’t know,” Peter shrugged, “didn’t think you’d be here so I didn’t think it mattered.”

“Well, here you are and here I am. It is my tower, after all.” Tony paused and looked at Peter for a second. Peter knew Tony and him were just starting to grow closer after a couple of months, but Peter swore his mentor could read his mind in that moment.

_Not in front of them, I’ll explain later._

“Anyways, just try not to lose that one, Happy will have my head if we have to do this all over again. I’ll see you later, okay Parker?” Tony asks, backing up to the hidden elevator.

“Of course, Mr. Stark. Thank you, sir.” Peter fumbled out.

Before reaching the wall, Tony called out over his shoulder, “Oh Peter, if you do lose it, FRIDAY can always let you in.”

 _ **"Welcome back, Mr. Parker,"**_ FRIDAY greeted from above.

“Oh, uh yes sir. And, uh, hi FRIDAY.”

As Tony walked into the elevator, he turned to Peter and gave a quick wink with his signature grin. For the second time that day, it was as if Tony knew this was exactly Peter needed. Nothing too suspicious, but it would be hard to refute Peter’s internship after what just happened.

_You’re welcome, kid._

Maybe Peter was reading Tony’s mind now.

Another murmur fell on the Midtown High students once Tony disappeared from sight.

_“Peter actually knows Tony Stark?” “I don’t remember her saying anything about a black badge before.” “Does the five mean security level five?” “No way Parker could have full access, could he?”_

Flash was at a loss for words at the moment.

A blush fell onto Peter’s face again, but he paired it with a proud smile.

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE LEAVE ME FEEDBACK IF IM SHIT TELL ME 
> 
> (im probably gonna go back and revise this later i just rlly wanna post it)
> 
> also follow me on tumblr (@tonystarkdadmode) because im new and want friends :)))))))))))))) thx


End file.
